


Another Life

by captain_vantass



Category: Homestuck
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-23
Updated: 2016-06-23
Packaged: 2018-07-16 19:09:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,950
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7281112
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/captain_vantass/pseuds/captain_vantass
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Aranea 'Mindfang' Serket and Meenah 'The Condesce' Peixes were great friends, once upon a time.</p><p>But somewhere along the way, life happened.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Another Life

**Author's Note:**

> Exploring the Parrallels between Alternia and Beforus; With shipping undertones. Most likely going to be a series of short fics about their lives and relationships.

"Stop _running_!" You shout after the highstrung ball of highblood energy, impatiently skidding to a stop and looking back at you.

Her lips purse out into a deliberate pout, eyebrows knitting together. "Maybe you should _start_." She counters right back at you. You scoff.

Your name is Aranea Serket, and you don't run.

Surprisingly, your companion waits for you to catch up. That's a first. This must be serious.

Tonight was a night, just like any other.. The only difference? While you had plans to spend the evening alone to enjoy a good book, (A _romance_ novel. Highblood and lowblood. Scandalous stuff.) your friend had other plans. 

You nearly had spontanous blood-pusher failure when she managed to pry open your window and slink inside your block. Assuming she was an intruder or worse, she nearly took a book to the face.  
When you asked _what_ she was doing there, she stated that she needed to talk to you. Normally, you'd bicker back and forth before you resigned to the heiress' whims. (As you always do.) But there was something about her behavior tonight. You resigned immediately and let her guide you from your own hive.

And here you were. Trudging together in silence to the shore, a short walk away.  
You assumed she was most comfortable by the water, if only because she was a seadweller.. And, well. You must admit. You spent so much time around it as well.. You couldn't help but feel safe. It reminded you of good things.. Of the troll beside you.. Of..

Before you can trail too far off into that thought, you've reached the sand.

You catch a glance of her face.. Normally, she would have slipped off her baggy formal-wear., down to the swim-clothes underneath. She would have been in the water before you even sat down. She looks pensive. Deep in thought. Her eyebrows are creased together and her fins have flattened against the side of her head. As you watch her, she treks a little further into the sand, before dropping to sit in it. Quietly, you join her. 

You know it's serious. She never wants to sit first. She's usually too much of a wriggler to wait, even when she has something to talk about. A quick dip, and then she's back out to come sit with you. 

You watch the way she sits there, lost to her thoughts. You find your pusher beating faster and the blueblood in your veins tinting your cheeks. Stunning, as always.

She doesn't speak for a while. She just watches the waves and you let her. Whatever's bothering her seems big. She needs time to organize her thoughts, plan out what she's going to say, and--

" _Fuck_."

That works too.

Her outburst startles you a little, but you don't do anything but flinch.

"..Meenah?" You ask slowly. Her arms have settled on her knees and shortly after her chin rests on her arms. She won't look at you. 

"I gotta do it."

"Back up, Meenah. Do what."

"You know what." You're trying to dissect her vague comment, but she continues and makes your efforts unnecessary. "I gotta take over."

Now you're scowling as well, sitting forward on your knees to lean closer to her. hea"I thought you said you didn't _want_ to," You ask quickly, before she continues. "Are you really changing your mind?"

"I'm _naut._ " She mutters, through her teeth. Sharp and deadly. Like the rest of her. "But I ain't gotta choice, Serk'."

"You always have a choice." Your attempt to comfort her is met with a bitter, condescending scoff. Of course, it's not unjust. She does know better then you in these matters.. You can't help but try. But she's closing herself off. You can see it in her stance, the way she hunches over. She's curling away from you. "Meenah.." You offer softly. She simply grunts in response. You scoot a little closer to her and she tucks further into herself. You reach a hand to her back and give it a few gentle pats. "Shh.." You murmur softly, _feeling_ the growl gurgling in in her lungs. She's always too damn _stubborn_ and closed off. She likes to pretend she's above being comforted like a normal troll.

She isn't.

"Meenah.. Look at me."

Grunt. 

"Meenah.."

Whine.

"Look at me, Meenah."

Her head tilts, just enough for you to catch one eye through her bangs. Your eyebrows arch expectantly and she sits up fully once again. You brush the long strands of pure black hair away, over her shoulder.. Keeping your eyes locked, you reach to pat her cheek gently. Her lips curl on instinct and you ponder the possibility of it simply being a stubborn seadweller thing.

"Relax, Meenah.." 

She grumbles a little, so you keep up the tedious work of trying to cool her down. You slip your hand up unto the soft, neatly kept hair and run your fingers through it. "That's cheatin'-" You hear her mutter as your hands find her scalp. A deep, tired sigh slips from her throat and you _smirk._ You brush your fingers through her hair and rub her head. Mostly around her horns. Barely nine sweeps old and she's already got impressive, long horns. One of the many causes of her headaches.. You catch the subtly, bubbly rumble of a purr slipping from her throat..  
Cute.

"Everything's going to be okay.." You assure her softly, your voice smooth and soothing. Even without your _gift_ you have a way with words. "You'll be just fine, Meenah.. If the throne isn't what you want, then don't take it. Simple as that."

" 'S my duty." She murmurs and you shush her gently.

"Who cares?"

She snorts out a laugh and you smile as well.

" 'M gonna run awave.." 

"Where will you go?" 

"I 'unno.. The moon? Somefin.." She sounds.. Tired. Defeated. It hurts to hear her this way.

"We could run away together, you know." You offer. Her head tilts. Further into your hands and she meets your gaze. Hers practically burns into yours. She shifts your hands by the wrist, away from her horns and into her own.

"You mean it?"

You nod quickly, without breaking your locked stare. "I do. Just you and me."

"Where?"

"Mm.. Maybe not the _moon._ " You start, watching her eyes roll with a cheeky grin. "We could.. I don't know.." A wave crashes nearby and you glance to the water. You're _struck_ with an idea and you turn back to her eagerly. "The sea. You and I. Sailing our lives away." 

You see the gears turning in her head.

"How are we supposed to get away from the Empire though?"

Your teeth catch your lower lip.

You've never shared this fantasy with anyone.. Even Meenah.  
_Especially_ Meenah.

"We could, ah.. Rebel." One eyebrow arches. "Criminals, you know?" You offer weakly. "Like.. _Pirates_."

Meenah outright laughs at you.

" _You_ wanna be a pirate? With this face?" She pinches your cheek between her fingers. As usual, forgetting her mix of sharp nails and highblood strength. When you yelp, she laughs harder. 

" _Meenah!_ " 

"S'a funny one, Serk'. You reel cute. How's aboat more practical ideas." 

With blue burning in your cheeks, it's your turn to pout at the ocean. Your longing stare away from her.

"You come up with a good plan, then."

"The moons alwaves an option."

You catch her moving from the corner of your eye. She flops backwards, laying there and looking up at the sky.  
She's always had interstellar dreams.. You just want to see Alternia.  
No, you've always wanted to conqure Alternia. Defy the system that put so much stress on your greatest friend. You watch the waves crash and feel the burning in your lungs, the eternal longing to be blessed like she is. Gills. 

"I could pack a bag." She says, catching your attention. She only continues when you're looking at her again. "We could try for the seas. However long that lasts.. You 'n me.." You smile softly and you can watch her get lost in the idea. "Pair 'a badasses versus all Alternia.."

"We could be legends." You point out. Her fins flutter. You sink to the sand beside her, propping your head in your hand and grinning. "We could be the kind of rogues who's names are hushed curses for sweeps after their lives end."

"Kickin' ass. Takin' names. Hoardin' gold."

By now, you're both laying on your backs. Dreamy gazes raised to the stars.

Yeah. It would be nice.

"We can do it.."

She scoffs. "Nah.. Dolphinately not you, Serk." She turns her head and looks at your indignant face, pouting at her. "Ya too soft. You'd nebber make it."

"I'd last longer then you." You mutter bitterly. Beside you, Meenah has started to climb out of the sand. You watch her from the ground as she strips out of her land-clothes. Through waves of deep, black hair. She drops her shirt on your face and snorts when you mutter. "Just what I always wanted." 

When you sit up, she's already knee-deep in the water. In a blink, she's gone. 

Your arms wrap slowly around her shirt, like a wriggler clutching a plush beast. You rest your arms against your knees and bury your face in the expensive fabric. You can smell the expensive perfume she's spritzed into the fabric, it makes your thoughts settle and a lazy smile cross your lips. It smells like her, and honestly. There's nothing better...

You can't imagine losing her.

If she takes the throne, you know you will. She'll be out of your reach.. Too busy for some blueblood with a hopeless flushed crush on her. 

Part of you hopes she'd really run away with you.

But when you lift your gaze and watch the water, you see her head. The crooked grin across her face makes your pusher melt and you know, no matter how much she claims to need you in her life, she'd never give up everything for you.

Like you'd do for her.

 

You stay up the next few days, charting courses. Planning trips.  
Figuring out the best, albeit shady, ways to get both of you to be unknown. You've got a journal started with your daydreams, the things the two of you would do out on the open sea. You're even picking out names for the two of you. New titles to go by.  
(You're thinking of something _official_ sounding. Like Marquise.)

Every time the sun sets, you waitby the window. The one she always climbs through. Who needs knocking, anyway?

You wait, you watch. You finish your book, you start a new one.  
You finish that one, too. 

You keep hoping she'll show up. She'll surprise you and climb in your window, haul you down to the beach again so you can laugh and talk the night away under the stars.  
She doesn't. 

You hear about it by eavesdropping. Almost half a sweep later. The snippet of a side conversation while you're out at the market.

It's official. There's a new Empress. They say she's just a kid. With a crooked smile and fluttery fins lined with informal piercings. She talks like a lowblood and she's one force to be reckoned with, already. 

They say they're scarred of the troll she'll become. She's violent, so they say. Already culled two members of her court. Lowbloods who mouthed off, like they had with the old Empress. 

No remorse, they comment, tutting at the thought. Ice cold, she is. You know the name before it leaves their lips, but it still makes your teeth grind and your eyes water.

That Meenah will be the death of Alternia.


End file.
